A Broadband Low Cross-Polarization U-Slot Patch Antenna Array Based on Differential Feed

Abstract—In this paper, a single layer 4× 4 U-slot patch antenna array based on differential feed was developed to achieve a wide bandwidth and low cross polarization with a simple feed network. A U-slot was cut on a radiation patch to realize a wideband performance, and a microstrip-line fed structure was adopted to make the patch and feed network placed in a single layer. In order to reduce extra crosspolarization level in the H-plane caused by cutting U-slot, differential feed is adopted, which also makes it easily integrated with differential devices (such as differential amplifier) directly without baluns. A single layer U-slot patch array based on differential feed and an array having the same structure but based on normal feed were made and compared with each other. The designed differentially-fed patch array has more than 12% measured impedance bandwidth and stable gain at 18–19 dBi across the operating band from 5.2 to 5.88GHz. The measured result shows that a better asymmetry of radiation pattern in the E-plane and a lower than −45 dB cross-polarization level in the H-plane can be achieved compared with normally-fed array.